Two families who live near two closed bases outside of Philadelphia can resume a lawsuit seeking to force the Navy to cover the cost of a medical monitoring program needed to assess the health impact of their years-long reliance on groundwater contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), following a federal appeals court ruling Tuesday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia reversed a portion of a July 2017 U.S. District Court decision, allowing the families to pursue their claim that the Navy fund a trust to cover a private party medical monitoring program, reported the Philly Voice. The appeals court, however, upheld the remainder of the district court’s decision, which dismissed the families’ request for a health assessment as it represented a “challenge” to the Navy’s ongoing cleanup effort under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).The two families used private wells for their drinking water. Testing showed that each had elevated levels of PFAS believed to stem from past use of firefighting foam at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove and Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster. Following the discovery that the wells were contaminated, the Navy provided the families with bottled water before connecting them to public water supplies. In both cases, though, the municipal sources also were contaminated with PFAS.Don’t miss the 2018 Base Redevelopment Forum next week in Portland, Maine! The event will include a special focus on how the military services and communities are tackling PFAS issues and collaborating to move forward. Dan Cohen AUTHORread more

Tags Sep 1 • iPhone 11, Apple Watch 5 and more: The final rumors • 0 Aug 31 • Your phone screen is gross. Here’s how to clean it Aug 31 • iPhone XR vs. iPhone 8 Plus: Which iPhone should you buy? The end of the year is near, even if the news cycle doesn’t seem to have noticed. GoFundMe returned more than $400,000 after learning one of the site’s campaigns was a scam. Fortnite, the shoot-’em-up video game, is reportedly set to turn a cool $3 billion in profit this year. And Silicon Valley billionaire Reid Hoffman apologized for unwittingly funding an Alabama disinformation campaign. If you missed any of the action, now’s your chance to catch up. And don’t worry… there’ll be plenty more in 2019. You thought the net neutrality fight was over? Think againTime’s run out to restore the rules using a legislative loophole. The fight, however, is far from over. Sarah Tew/CNET From NASA to SpaceX, 2018 was a great year for space news The launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket headlined a year of marvelous space milestones. Virgin Galactic Here’s why Cher’s was the must-follow Twitter account of the yearThe global superstar is the antithesis of all the wrong types of tweeters. Samir Hussein/Getty Images From iPhone XR to Galaxy S9, we just had the best year for phones ever Phones were fast, powerful and brimming with exciting features. The 2019 crop will likely be better. Angela Lang/CNET Facebook Watch may have been the best part of the social network’s bad year But it wasn’t that great. Jessica Miglio Google employees found voice in protest this yearYou’ll likely hear more. James Martin/CNET Google Home’s 2018 in reviewOwning the smart home. Chris Monroe/CNET Fighting fake news on social media is going to get harderThe shift to messaging and ephemeral content will prove challenging. Joel Saget / AFP/Getty Images The best cars we drove in 2018You’ll want to drive ’em all. Steven Ewing/Roadshow ‘Hello, humans’: Google’s Duplex could make Assistant the most lifelike AI yet. Infowars and Silicon Valley: Everything you need to know about the tech industry’s free speech debate. Aug 31 • Best places to sell your used electronics in 2019 Share your voice NASA Facebook Google Instagram Porsche Snapchat SpaceX Tesla Twitter Volkswagen Apple WhatsApp See All Apple reading • 9 great reads from CNET this week Tech Industry Post a commentread more

ET Data BaseA bizarre image taken by NASA from Mars is now the hottest debating point among conspiracy theorists and alien enthusiasts. The picture that has now gone viral on the internet shows a bird-like figure flying in the Martian skies. A video featuring the image was originally uploaded to YouTube by a user named Sandra Elena Andrade, and it was later analysed by popular alien hunter Scott C Waring.In a recent post on his website ET Data Base, Scott C Waring revealed that the appearance of a bird in a Martian image is a strong indication that NASA has never gone to Mars. The self-proclaimed extraterrestrial researcher also added that the United States space agency’s Curiosity Rover might be there in the isolated Devon islands, and the government might be trying to fool the public by releasing images from the earth in disguise as Martian photographs.”This is impossible, and yet, there it is…captured in a photo on a NASA website. Of course, it could be a UFO. Aliens like to use nature to inspire their structures and ships. But it looks like a soaring eagle…which if that’s true, may mean one of two things…either animal exist on Mars or…and I hate this idea, but it needs to be considered…the rover might not be on Mars at all, but on Devon Island in Canada. Devon is a desolate island area with only a hand full of people and NASA has gone there many times to test the rovers in an environment similar to Mars,” wrote Waring on his website.However, a section of other conspiracy theorists argues that NASA has actually visited Mars, and this image is a proof of alien existence in the Red Planet. This is not the first time that Waring is alleging a space agency for conducting fake space missions. A few months back, when China landed its Chang’e-4 moon lander on the lunar surface, Waring alleged that the entire mission is faked by the Chinese space agency. In order to substantiate his claims, Waring also released a photo taken by the Chinese moon lander.In one of the images released by Waring, a mysterious line can be seen drawn in front of the moon rover, and Waring raised the question that who drew it on the surface of the moon.read more

For this millennial generation, age is truly no bar in order to break the stereotypes and carve out a unique niche for themselves.Over the past decade, the start-up ecosystem in India has brimmed with young minds with the country having entrepreneurs at a median age of around 30 years. For this millennial generation, age is truly no bar in order to break the stereotypes and carve out a unique niche for themselves. One such of a small town mind caught our attention, who has been talk of the town on social media lately. A young entrepreneur named Chintan Padmani broke the odds and has made it big in the digital marketing space. Chintan started his journey to the top with literally no connection and empty pockets. Currently, he is one of the most famous names in the digital marketing field in the country, that too at the young age of 20.Having left his hometown Ahmedabad at a very young age to pursue his career in the digital marketing field, Subhani from the beginning had expertise in content creation and a better understanding of the marketing landscape which helped him in achieving big.Currently, he is a popular name in the digital marketing industry, all thanks to his amazing work at one of the firms based out of Mumbai.Soon after kicking off his professional career in Mumbai, Chintan took up the job to work for an ad campaign of Ahmedabad tourism. After proving his worth in the market, Chintan went ahead to designed the promotional campaign for several super hits song like Tera Ghanta and Dilbar Dilbar.Now, Chintan Padmani is started his own company called Cyberstrek Technologies making him one of the most successful youngest entrepreneurs in India that too at the age of 20. With the way his career is growing, he will be a force to reckon with in coming years.Inspiring entrepreneurs like Chintan Padmani are indeed changing the game for their generation and taking Indian start-up and digital ecosystem to the next level, altogether. These new age young entrepreneurs, every now and then, proved themselves with their out of box thinking, leadership skills and distinctive execution styles.IBT does not endorse any of the above content.read more

Divorce is always bitter and it usually affects the children. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s divorce was also quite nasty as their battle extended in front of the media. Basically, it was an ugly split. However, turns out the divorce has brought their six children closer.Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 11, have all grown incredibly close ever since the divorce. Their closeness comes from the teachings of their A-list parents and they have inculcated the idea of staying close to the family.As per a report on HollywoodLife.com, a source stated, “All of Angelina and Brad’s kids are extremely close,” and then added, “They’re all very caring and protective of each other. They have always been a tight unit, but their parents’ divorce made the bond between them even stronger. They still bicker sometimes, like all siblings do, but overall they get along really well.” Angelina Jolie with her childrenTwitter”Angelina really encourages that feeling of being a little tribe,” according to the insider. “She has group meetings so everyone can share their feelings. They do game nights, they read to each other; there is a lot of group time. Brad’s so close with his bother and sister (Doug Pitt and Julie Pitt Neal), so it’s something he wanted for his kids, too. He and Angelina are totally on the same page with that.” Their oldest son, Maddox, recently celebrated his 18th birthday and is leaving from home to study biochemistry in Seoul’s Yonsei University. Angelina Jolie and her son Pax arrive for the 75th Golden Globe AwardsVALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty ImagesIn her recent interview with Elle magazine, Jolie spoke about how she wants her daughters to develop their minds. “I often tell my daughters that the most important thing they can do is to develop their minds. You can always put on a pretty dress, but it doesn’t matter what you wear on the outside if your mind isn’t strong. There is nothing more attractive — you might even say enchanting — than a woman with an independent will and her own opinions.” We’ll see Jolie in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil which is all set to release in October.read more

BNP senior joint general secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Prothom Alo File PhotoThe assertion of the BNP that the 2016 cyber heist of the Bangladesh Bank money was a “state-sponsored” act, has ultimately proved to be true, a senior leader of the party said on Saturday.BNP senior joint general secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the contention, referring to America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation of late that called the incident of hacking the central bank’s account at the New York Federal Reserve as “state-sponsored”.Read more: BB heist was ‘state-sponsored’: US official“The FBI has confirmed that the heist of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank’s account at the New York Federal Reserve was a state-sponsored act… Thus the BNP’s allegation has come out as true”, Rizvi said in a news conference at the party’s Naya Paltan central office.He mentioned that the Awami League government has not even regretted the heist.“They (AL leaders) haven’t implemented any developmental activities except robbing the public money,” said the leader of the principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).In reference to rumour that the government is unable to take action against the key person behind the heist, Rizvi said findings of the FBI clarifies the reason why the finance minister shelved the probe report on the world’s biggest cyber heist so far.“The people’s money vanishes because a superstate is active within Bangladesh. The countrymen know the members of the superstate,” he said.Rizvi added, “The government will lose power if it irritates them.”He pointed out that, “FBI said it is close to revealing the names of perpetrators involved in the biggest ever reserve heist.”“The country will not come out of its bad fortune as long as the Awami League remains in power. Actually, the Awami League is the pseudonym for corruption,” Rizvi said.BNP leader Khairul Kabir, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder, Abdus Salam Azad and Aminul Islam also were present in the news conference.read more

Dr Kamal HossainAlthough significant opposition the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has reached an understanding with Jukta (United) Front and National Unity Process, they are yet to announce combined programmes ahead of the national elections.Sources in the National Unity and Jukta Front said BNP is eager to declare combined programmes at the earliest while the rest of the alliance want to decide on post-election issues first.The parties are to sit for a meeting to discuss the issues on Thursday.Jukta Front and Unity Process leaders want to take a concrete decision on ensuring balance of power in the parliament and the government. They are also eager to ensure balance of power between the posts of the president and the prime minister. Decentralisation of power, appointment of ombudsman and ensuring independent judiciary are also among their demands.The meeting, which is likely to be held at the residence of eminent jursit Kamal Hossain, might take decisions such as setting post-election goals, declaring uniform programmes and setting a name for the alliance.Sources said, the leaders of the parties on Monday met at Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president (JSD) president ASM Abdur Rab’s Uttara residence. Three top leaders of BNP took part in the meeting, where they discussed on the 9-point demand of Jukta Front and Unity Process and 12-point demand of BNP.JSD general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan and Gano Forum joint secretary AHM Shafiullah were given the responsibility to do the coordination between the sides. They will hand over the report to National Unity Process convener Kamal Hossain.“All the parties have kinda similar demands regarding the national eleciton. There are no major differences on the other demands, too. We have started working on finding the right balance,” said AHM Shafiullah.Some leaders of the Unity Process think that although the BNP has touched on the point of ensuring balance of power in their 12-point demand, it was not clear enough. Moreover, the issue of sharing of seats in the parliament is not settled yet.BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, however, opined that the time is not ripe for discussing seat sharing.In Monday’s meeting, the question of BNP led 20-party alliance’s inclusion in the National Unity Process was also discussed. BNP wanted inclusion of 18 parties except Jamaat in the process to strengthen the national alliance.Jukta Front and National Unity leaders did not object to this point raised by BNP, said the sources present at the meeting.On Jamaat, BNP leaders maintained that they should be left out of discussion as the party has lost its registration.BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraaf told Prothom Alo that the leaders present at the meeting had reached ‘some form of consensus’.The Unity Process would chalk out combined programmes upon declaration of their united demand and goals, Mosharraf added.read more

Former OC of Feni’s Sonagazi police station Moazzem Hossain. File PhotoFormer officer-in-charge of Feni’s Songazai police station Moazzem Hossain has been suspended for not “carrying out his duties properly” after the alleged rape and murder of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.The decision was taken as per the recommendations made by the investigation committee of the police headquarters, sources told Prothom Alo on Friday morning.The investigation committee also recommended suspending Songazi police station sub-inspector Iqbal Hossain and taking departmental action against both of them for their role in the murder of Sonagazi Senior Fazil Madrasa student Nusrat, who was set on fire.Five burkha clad people took part in setting Nusrat on fire for filing a case against the principal of the madrasa Siraj Ud Doula, who allegedly sexually harassed Nusrat.The investigation report was recently submitted to the Inspector General of Police Javed Patwary.The committee also found that Feni superintendent of police Jahangir Alam Sarkar and additional deputy commissioner PK Enamul Kabir did not carry out their duties properly after learning about the incident.The report said the then OC of Sonagazi police station Moazzem Hossain and SI Iqbal Hossain tried to make it look like a suicide.SP Jahangir Alam did not visit the crime scene though he came to know about the incident around 10:00am. Rather he left for Chattogram Hill Tracts. He returned after being instructed by the deputy inspector general of police of Chattogram range, it added.The committee has recommended taking departmental action against the SP, police HQ sources said.The committee’s observation about the additional deputy commissioner PK Enamul Kabir will be informed to the ministry concerned.On 6 April, Nusrat Jahan Rafi was set afire at a centre of Alim examination allegedly by students loyal to principal Siraj Ud Doula of Sonagazi Senior Fazil Madrasa after he was arrested and subsequently suspended as she had accused him of sexually harassing her.Critically injured Nusrat was immediately taken to the DMCH for better treatment where she underwent a surgery under life support on 9 April.Nusrat, however, succumbed to her injuries around 9:30pm on 10 April.There were allegations that police tried to make the incident look like a suicide attempt. OC Moazzem was withdrawn due to her family’s no-confidence in him.On 13 April, the police headquarters formed a committee to find out the role of its officials in the incident. The committee finalised the report on 30 April.read more

Medical MarijuanaThe DC Council passed emergency legislation on July 14 to advance the medical marijuana program. The bills provide a patient-centric medical marijuana use program, a sliding scale for the purchase marijuana, and an increase in the number of plants a grower can cultivate to meet patient demands.Passage of B20-678, “Medical Marijuana Plant Cultivation Amendment Act of 2014” and B20-766, “Medical Marijuana Expansion Amendment of 2014” paved the way for medical marijuana cultivation centers to increase the number of plants from 95 to 500. These changes allow patients and their physicians to determine if using medical marijuana is more beneficial than conventional medications for treatment. Also included are provisions for a payment sliding scale for patients with income less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. “This debate regarding the state of the District’s medical marijuana program began last Fall. Since then we’ve worked with patients, advocates, dispensaries, cultivators, and the Department of Health continuously to improve patient access. This legislation is another step in the right direction. I was pleased to support it and I’m glad my colleagues did as well,” said At Large Councilmember David Grosso.Dr. Joxel Garcia, director of the D.C. Department of Health, said, “The department supports legislation that permits the expansion of the qualifying medical conditions to mean any condition for which use of the medical marijuana may be beneficial, as determined by the patient and their physician.”Olivia Johnson, a medical marijuana user, moved to the District in 1983 from California, a state with a medical marijuana program for 17 years. She suffers from a degenerative spine and disc disorder. “I think it’s wonderful. I knew because it was a new program, the District government seemed terrified to implement the program with full force. I thought it would take longer to move this along. I am ecstatic the changes came so quickly.”Sarah Kirsten Farthing suffers with Stage 4 endometriosis. “I am incredibly relieved. I do not believe that the government should be involved in improving individual conditions,” said Farthing. “Before, the process left many citizens, like myself, without legal access to a drug that is safer, more effective, and has fewer side effects than the drugs frequently given to patients with serious health needs.”Not all physicians are supportive of the expansion. “As a pediatrician who specializes in caring for teenagers, I am concerned that medical marijuana is erroneously sending the signal to youth that not only is marijuana not harmful, it’s actually beneficial,” said Krishna Upadhya, MD. “There is evidence that expansion of medical marijuana programs does cause harm. I am opposed to legislators deciding that something is a medicine. There is no assurance of uniformity, purity, or concentration of the active ingredients as is required for prescription drugs.”The issue of growing more plants was not readily accepted by Department of Health but passed the Council. “Currently, we cannot say there is a demonstrated need to expand the plant limit to 500, or if the demand for medical marijuana will support the increased supply. Although we know that the program will continue to grow,” testified Garcia at a Council hearing in June.Under its current design, the District has 412 patients registered in the program and 114 physicians that have requested access to recommend medical marijuana. Patients are also able to submit applications online. Supporters expect the number of patients to increase now that barriers have been lifted.“There was no sound reason to continue capping the number of plants licensed cultivators may possess at any given time. The federal government has never targeted relatively large-scale producers who operate in compliance with a state regulatory scheme in any of the states where they have been allowed,” said Robert J. Capecchi, deputy director of state policies, Marijuana Policy Project.A medical marijuana initiative, mirroring the California statute, was passed by 69 percent of the District’s voters in 1998. At that time California was the only state in the nation to have a program. Congress blocked any action to implement the program until 2009. Now 22 states have medical marijuana programs, and Colorado and Washington have full legalization. In August, the Justice Department issued a statement to allow states with medical marijuana laws to operate programs. “In short, the way was clear for DC to move ahead with improvements to its program. The ultimate solution here is to treat medical marijuana the same way we treat medical alcohol and medical tobacco because it has far more uses and is much safer,” said Richard F. Kennedy, PhD.Corey Barnette, owner and operator of District Growers Cultivation Center, applauded the positive directional changes. However, he mentioned other hurdles that needed to be addressed. “It must begin to allow existing ownership groups to finance expansion and operation, like any other business in the District. Lessen the burden of a lack of access to bank financing and merchant services. Prevent supply interruption and continue to supply growing demand. Support reduction in pricing,” said Barnette, owner of the only Black-owned cultivation center in this region.read more

Sisters Academy of Baltimore invites the public to a traditional neighborhood block party on April 14 at the Montgomery Park, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. The annual event is a fundraiser to benefit the Sister Academy of Baltimore. For more information call Martha Kendall at 410.242.1212.

The Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service is ready for National Fire Prevention Week.And today they’re turning people’s attention to fire prevention in a big way with third annual Fire Expo being hosted at University Mall’s Veterans Memorial Park between 4 and 7 p.m.Fire and rescue workers want nothing more than preventing fire-related injuries and deaths, and their goal this week is mitigating some of those potential fires by offering free smoke alarm inspections and installations.In addition, they’ll be sharing helpful tips at the expo, along with offering fun and games for the whole family.Children get the chance to don a firefighter’s uniform, run through a course and learn all about what firefighters do, along with the do’s and don’ts of fire prevention.Addressing children at a young age, then reinforcing it as they group up helps them teach their parents,” said Tuscaloosa Fire Marshal Gene Holcomb.Holcomb said it’s important for residents to keep their fire systems updated, especially once colder weather arrives.“We’re coming up on the cooler part of the year where people will be getting out heaters, maybe fire places, maybe some of those things, so just a reminder to check all those things and be safe,” Holcomb said.And if you’re worried about preventing a fire in your home, Holcomb said Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue has a smoke alarm program throughout the year that offers free inspections and installations for Tuscaloosans who need help.read more